Codling keeps faith with his winning team

Rotherham’s coach Alex Codling is expected to stick, more or less, to the same squad which beat Cornish Pirates 41-28 on Wednesday for tomorrow’s Championship game against Moseley, the penultimate home match of the season.

One change may come at scrum half where Charlie Mulchrone will resume his starting place at the expense of Jimmy Williams. With only 23 fit players, Codling’s options are limited; there could, however, be a change in the forwards because one of the seven try scorers, flanker Toby Freeman, injured an ankle.

“In attack, we were outstanding on Wednesday and scored some great tries. I was delighted with the performance and in the pack Laurence Pearce and Neale Patrick were really good,” said Codling.

“Pearce has the ability to break the gain line and has real potential. In our backs, the try scored by Curtis Wilson was outstanding. We have two games left and if we win both,we might finish sixth. Moseley have improved under (coach) Kevin Maggs whom I have a lot of respect for. He is a rugby man; Moseley will be tough opponents.”

The Birmingham club are 10th in the league with a record of six wins and 13 defeats in 20 Championship contests,but they are a much more competitive side than results indicate.

For example,in their last game against Leeds Carnegie, Moseley fought back strongly in the second half and almost beat the Headingley team who led 26-3 at the interval but then relaxed allowing Moseley to score 17 points.

Leeds eventually won 29-20,but Moseley showed great spirit by scoring two tries, so Rotherham, who won in Birmingham by 20-16 in December, Codling’s first league match in charge following the departure of Andre Bester, must not show any complacency.

Following,the victory over Cornish Pirates, the Titans remain eighth in the Championship but have moved on to 42 points, two behind London Scottish, who are the last opponents at Clifton Lane, a week on Saturday.

*Rotherham are thought to have been pursuing the signature of prop Colin Quigley from London Scottish - while four Titans players appear set to go to that club, forwards Ted Stagg and Jamie Kilbane and backs Mike Doneghan and Peter Homan.